Heel lift



July 21, 1964 HARRIS 3,141,248

HEEL LIFT Filed Nov. 23, 1962 INVENTOR LEON/1R0 B. HARE/5 United States Patent Oflice 3,141,248 Patented July 21, 1964 3,141,248 HEEL LIFT Leonard E. Harris, Glencoe, lll., assignor to Ny-Linn Elhicago Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of lllOlS Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,507 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-34) The present invention relates to heel lifts of the type primarily employed in the construction of high heel shoes for women.

In recent years, high heel shoes have been manufactured with extremely thin heel portions, and, accordingly, a great deal of abuse is taken by these heel portions. Thus, the weight of the wearer is concentrated on an extremely small heel area and the tendency toward wearing of the heels is substantially increased.

The greater wearing problems have resulted in the need for more frequent replacement of heel lifts. Advances have been made regarding the material for use in the heel lifts whereby greater wearing periods have been possible; however, the methods of manufacturing the heel lifts have become more complicated. Thus, the extremely small size of the lifts has made it ditficult to provide a durable construction and certain manufacturing methods have not permitted the use of the most durable material.

Recent advancements, for example as described in the Whitted Patent No. 3,040,452, have provided means for employing certain desirable materials such as rubber. In the patent disclosure, a heel lift construction is described which permits molding of rubber and other materials to a specific pin construction whereby a durable heel lift will be provided. The pin construction is designed as a nail whereby the heel lift can be advantageously incorporated in the heel body.

It is an object of this invention to provide a heel lift construction which is characterized by ideal durability whereby the construction can be efficiently employed with shoes having extremely narrow heels.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a heel lift construction characterized by durability and also characterized by an extremely simple mode of manufacture whereby economy in the production of the lifts can be realized.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the heel lift construction as it appears apart from a heel;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view illustrating an assembly of the heel lift construction with a shoe heel;

FIGURE 3 is a detail plan view of a washer-like member advantageously employed in the heel lift construction;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the heel lift construction prior to the molding operation; and,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical elevation taken about the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

The heel lift construction of this invention generally comprises an elongated body portion preferably formed with a pointed end whereby it can be nailed into a shoe heel. A head portion is situated at the lower end of the body portion and a washer-like member is adapted to be fitted around the body portion adjacent the head portion. A wearing portion comprising any of various molding materials is then adapted to be formed around the combination of the head portion and the washer-like member. It has been found that the washer-like member in combination with the head portion provides a highly efficient means for securing the molding material in the lift construction. Furthermore, the assembly of the Washer-like member represents an extremely simple operation, and, accordingly, highly economical manufacture of the heel lift construction can be realized.

The accompanying drawings provide an illustration of a heel lift construction 10 characterized by the features of this invention. The construction is shown in FIGURE 2 as it appears in combination with a shoe heel 12.

The heel lift construction 10 comprises an elongated body portion 14 and a pointed end 16 which facilitates the nailing of the construction into the shoe heel. Striations 17 formed in the body portion 14 provide an elfective gripping action when the construction is assembled with the shoe heel.

A head portion 18 similar in appearance to a nail head is integrally formed at the bottom end of the body portion 14. A washer-like member 20 is adapted to be fitted around the body portion 14 and moved into position adjacent the head portion 18 as shown in FIGURE 4. It is preferable to employ a washer-like member having an internal diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the body portion 14. With an arrangement of this nature, the washer-like member can be held in a desired position with respect to the body portion, and the molding operation can therefore be facilitated.

The molding operation is carried out in order to provide the wearing portion 22 of the heel lift. The molding may be carried out in accordance with conventional molding techniques and various well-known material may be utilized for forming the wearing portion. The construction of this invention provides for securing of the wearing portion to the head 18 and the durability of the construction is materially enhanced by the presence of the washer-like member 20. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the molding material extends into the spaces defined between the member 20 and the head 18 and the gripping action of this combination has been found to be highly efiective.

The member 20 may comprise a flat washer, however, certain preferred designs for this member have been discovered. In FIGURE 3, the member 20 includes fingers 24 which extend inwardly and provide for engagement with the body portion 14. Spaces 26 defined between these fingers increase the number of spaces through which the molding material will pass and which therefore provide an improved gripping action. FIGURE 4 illustrates washer-like members having :fingers 24 and spaces 26 and also being characterized by a truncated cone shape. With the base portion of the cone situated closest to the head 18, a further improvement in gripping action is provided since the washer-like members will act as a cup for receiving portions of the molding material.

Stop means may be formed in the body portion 14 which are adapted to hold the washer-like member in spaced-apart relationship with respect to the head 18. These means may comprise projections extending outwardly of the body portion or the body portion may be provided with a non-circular cross section for a short distance above the head 18. The washer-like member may assume various internal designs to permit passage of molding material between this member and the body portion; however, the washer-like member could also have a circular internal diameter.

It will be appreciated that the heel lift construction described can be manufactured in an extremely simple and economical fashion. Thus, the washer-like member employed in the construction can be assembled with the body portion with a minimum of effort and there are therefore no expensive or time consuming operations necessary for preparing the construction for the molding operation. The described construction is therefore extremely advantageous since expensive machining operations previously utilized for providing gripping surfaces in shoe lift constructions have been eliminated. Inexpensive materials conventionally used in the manufacture of shoe lifts can be employed in the construction of this invention. Thus, metals such as steel can be utilized for the body and head portions and the washer-like members while various natural and synthetic rubbers and plastics are suitably employed for the wearing portions.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the construction described which provide the characteristics of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly as defined in the following claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A heel lift construction comprising an elongated body portion having a pointed end, a head portion integrally formed at the opposite end of said body portion, a washer member fitting around said body portion adjacent said head portion, said washer member comprising a continuous outer peripheral portion and having inwardly extending fingers engaging said body portion, the internal ends of said fingers defining a central opening in said washer having a diameter slightly less than the outer diameter of said body portion whereby engagement of said fingers with said body portion serves to hold said washer member in place on said body portion in spaced- '4. apart relationship with respect to said head portion, and a wearing portion formed of molding material surround ing said head portion and said washer member, spaces defined between said fingers and between said outer peripheral portion and said body portion, said molding material extending between said head portion and said washer member and within said spaces whereby said wearing portion is firmly secured in said construction.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said washer member is formed in the shape of a truncated cone with the base thereof disposed adjacent said head portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,947,840 Fitzsimmons Feb. 20, 1934 2,321,157 Rees June 8, 1943 2,375,728 Cadwallader May 8, 1945 2,712,262 Knohl July 5, 1955 3,041,744 Brauner July 3, 1962 3,055,125 Ronci Sept. 25, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,238,402 France July 4, 1960 

1. A HEEL LIFT CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION HAVING A POINTED END, A HEAD PORTION INTEGRALLY FORMED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY PORTION, A WASHER MEMBER FITTING AROUND SAID BODY PORTION ADJACENT SAID HEAD PORTION, SAID WASHER MEMBER COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION AND HAVING INWARDLY EXTENDING FINGERS ENGAGING SAID BODY PORTION, THE INTERNAL ENDS OF SAID FINGERS DEFINING A CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID WASHER HAVING A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID BODY PORTION WHEREBY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FINGERS WITH SAID BODY PORTION SERVES TO HOLD SAID WASHER MEMBER IN PLACE ON SAID BODY PORTION IN SPACEDAPART RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID HEAD PORTION, AND A WEARING PORTION FORMED OF MOLDING MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID HEAD PORTION AND SAID WASHER MEMBER, SPACES DEFINED BETWEEN SAID FINGERS AND BETWEEN SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION AND SAID BODY PORTION, SAID MOLDING MATERIAL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HEAD PORTION AND SAID WASHER MEMBER AND WITHIN SAID SPACES WHEREBY SAID WEARING PORTION IS FIRMLY SECURED IN SAID CONSTRUCTION. 